Erdogan to meet Putin for a ‘new beginning’

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet on Tuesday (9 August) his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin aiming to open “a new page” in bilateral relations and reverse the damage sustained by sanctions imposed by Russia.

Ankara’s downing of a Russian warplane over the Syrian border last November prompted rapid retaliation from Moscow and a bitter war of words between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan from which there appeared no going back.

But just half a year on Russia has accepted Ankara’s expressions of regret over the incident and Erdogan will meet Putin in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday for their first summit since the crisis erupted, in the hope of reviving the relationship.

Ankara was also gladdened by Moscow’s response to the July 15 failed coup in Turkey. Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to phone Erdogan offering support and, unsurprisingly, sharing none of the scruples of EU leaders about the ensuing crackdown.

“The Russian response stood in stark contrast to those of Turkey’s Western allies,” said Jeffrey Mankoff of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Relations between Turkey and Russia – two powers vying for influence in the strategic Black Sea region and the Middle East – have never been straightforward and their predecessor Ottoman and Russian empires fought three centuries of war.

Yet before the plane crisis, Moscow and Ankara managed to prevent disputes on Syria and Ukraine harming strategic cooperation on issues like the TurkStream gas pipeline to Europe and a Russian-built nuclear power station in Turkey.

The alliance was built on a macho friendship between Putin and Erdogan, two combative leaders in their early 60s credited with restoring confidence to their nations in the wake of financial crises but also criticised for clamping down on human rights.

With Erdogan making clear in no uncertain terms he feels let down by the United States and the European Union after the coup, there is the prospect of a new era in Turkey-Russia ties.

“While Turkish-Russian ties are subject to their own uncertainties, this deterioration of relations with Western powers could accelerate a Turkish-Russian rapprochement,” said analysts from the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“A new page”

In an interview with Russian news agency TASS on Sunday (7 August), Erdogan stressed that “a new page” in bilateral relations would open this week.

“This will be a historic visit, a new beginning. At the talks with my friend Vladimir (Putin), I believe, a new page in bilateral relations will be opened. Our countries have a lot to do together,” TASS quoted Erdogan as saying.

“Without Russia’s participation, it’s impossible to find a solution to the Syrian problem. Only in partnership with Russia will we be able to settle the crisis in Syria,” Erdogan noted.

‘Restore relations’

Turkey will want to reverse the damage sustained by sanctions imposed by Russia which took a heavy toll on agriculture and construction.

According to Kremlin data, trade between the two sides fell 43 percent to $6.1 billion in January-May this year.

Meanwhile the TurkStream pipeline, that was to have pumped 31.5 billion cubic metres of gas a year, and the Akkuyu nuclear power station should now be back on the agenda.

Intriguingly, Turkish officials have said the pilots of the Turkish planes that shot down the Russian jet on November 24 have been detained over the failed coup, raising the prospect that Ankara could link the downing to the same conspiracy.

Before the plane incident “Russia and Turkey were in a relationship of advanced partnership”, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said the fact Erdogan was visiting so soon after the coup showed the importance Turkey attached to relations with Russia.

‘Pragmatic not personal’

But after such a bitter dispute – which led Putin to declare that Erdogan had left modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk “turning in his grave” -it will take a lot for the two post-imperial strongmen to get back to business as usual.

Some analysts contend that Moscow has the upper hand in the relationship with energy-poor Turkey, which still imports over half its natural gas needs from Russia.

EXCLUSIVE / Athens is not planning to advance talks on the Russia-backed Poseidon pipeline, seen as a direct competitor to the EU-backed TAP pipeline, during a forthcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s to the country.

Russia, which is the strongest ally of Erdogan’s foe President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, transformed the balance of the Syrian civil war last September when it intervened militarily to Turkey’s consternation.

When the jet crisis reached its peak, Moscow also brandished its support for a Syrian Kurdish militia which Ankara accuses of being a terror group, sparking fears Russia could even arm Kurdish militants fighting Turkey.

“The only person that Erdogan fears is Vladimir Putin,” argued Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mankoff said the tension between Turkey and the West creates for Moscow a “prime opportunity to pull Ankara closer”.

It may be that ties improve steadily but without the fireworks seen when the relationship was at its peak in late 2014 when Putin suddenly announced the TurkStream project as one of the first visitors to Erdogan’s new presidential palace.

“What we are going to see is a longer-lasting but more pragmatic type of relationship built not on a personal friendship or ideology but on common material interests,” Alexander Baunov, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said.

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9 responses to “Erdogan to meet Putin for a ‘new beginning’”

An attempt to ease strained Russia – Turkey relations is welcome news.
Quoting from the article – “Intriguingly, Turkish officials have said the pilots of the Turkish planes that shot down the Russian jet on November 24 have been detained over the failed coup, raising the prospect that Ankara could link the downing to the same conspiracy.” Reports after the Russian plane was shot down claimed that the Turkish response was authorized at the highest level. Erdogan then stated that Turkey had a right to defend itself and offered no apology pointing to several prior airspace violations by Russia. The idea that Erdogan would now possibly seek to scapegoat military men on the firing line raises disturbing questions.

For simple minded childish people, such as Putin and Erdogan, that’s how it’s done. Erdogan already speaking of his ‘friend’ Putin, apparently forgot the quarrel that would have been war if it wasn’t for his NATO membership. The ‘power players’ who both thought they’d be at the centre of world politics reached their goal, as jesters.

Now that Erdogan foresees the birth of his long coveted Turkish islamic state, with the additional barbaric traditions such as death penalty and sharia, it’s just a matter of time before Turkey will be kicked out of civilized institutions such as NATO and the EU accession negotiations. It will be dangerous to have a dispute at the same time with Russia and it’s unpredictable, evenly emotional and hot-tempered totalitarian ruler Putin.

At the same time, Putin in his quest for world dominance has spilled the pensions, healthcare, and wealth of the Russians. Now that oil prices may be low forever since alternative energy sources continue to keep demand low, his hobby will soon be questioned domestically while his promise for the restoration of the Great Russian Empire seems to have resulted in the opposite. The increasingly aggressive, dominant and conquering China must give some security itches too since there are still some ‘discussions’ about territory between these states and China could use more ‘lebensraum’ and precious raw materials.

Luckily, there is a prescription for megalomania. It’s called fear and indignity.

When the coup was announced the West could not prevent to show it’s real feelings towards Erdogan, they didn’t trust him, didn’t like him , don’t feel comfortable and are just as happy to see him gone. There clearly was more concern about what would be done to the supposed rebels then the possibility of Turkey falling into anarchy. Erdogan must be acutely aware by now of the quiet indifference and hostility that Europeans feel towards him and consequently, his best bet to change course and move closer to Russia and strike up a new friendship with Putin. If the EU was going to be their new partner and ally and this is how they treat him, then why continue at all. Russia and Turkey might just make a great team. Can you blame him? The EU – Turkey thing was never going to work out.

Of course – either back to Syria or waiting in front of Greece but Turkey still won’t get freed of Visa even how much Turctato wants it urgently !
You’re still deep inside the E.U. ! May your mind be redeemed from the European Union but only when the Art.50 being triggered.

The Islamist Erdogan killed an orthodox . I don’t think Vladi will be friend with him like the fanatics he is bombing in Syria ! Regretting month later about this assassination makes it really questionable for trade relationships .
So Erdogan feels let down by the United States and the European Union after the coup ?!? The World is being terrorized by fanatic Turkish Muslims which beats Christians Kurdes in minorities and many things contradictory to islam ! Erdogan has an army which is partially sick of him and Erdogans recent dictato behavior is totally in contradictory to westerners values whch turkey even don’t want to implement Even blackmails the E.U. and the U.S . Erdogan can implement the barbaric sharia stone death sentence “democratically” as he calls on it’s own interest of course !
No! Putin really don’t like him and a Turkish-Russian relationship is out of sight actually! A Real relationship would only be if Putin finds a friend like Assad who could drop some bombs there as well . Relationship with dictato of Turkey means stabbed behind sooner or later !

A new beginning of what exactly? Plans for the partitioning of Europe? That is certainly what the policies of these irresponsible idiots in Warsaw like Kaczynski or the Cameron and Farages in England are leading to isn’t it? The have learned nothing from their own history. Why again was Poland partitioned in the 18th centuries. Oh yeah! Everybody had a veto in the parliament… Just like the Brits and the Poles want it to be in Europe. 28 sovereign nation states vetoing each other, some of them inspired by ‘special relationships’ with third parties. Boy, will that help Europe to take decisions. Not.

Is this really what we want in Europe? To be ruled by the Putins the Erdogans, the Trumps, the would be caliphs?

Or should we unite and govern ourselves? In that case: support Juncker and Schulz!